


Time's Up

by triangular



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/M, imported from tumblr againnnn, uhhh so this happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-28
Updated: 2014-10-28
Packaged: 2018-02-23 01:09:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2528429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/triangular/pseuds/triangular
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s <strong>t</strong>he 10t<strong>h</strong> anniversary of th<strong>e</strong> twins truly arriving at the Shac<strong>k</strong>.<br/>But, as fat<strong>e</strong> would have it, it’s also the last da<strong>y</strong> for someone, unless a deal <strong>i</strong>s made with a certain untru<strong>s</strong>tworthy demon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time's Up

“C’mon, Dipper! It’s the 10-year anniversary of us first arriving at the Mystery Shack! Can’t you be a little more excited?”

“I know, Mabel, I know. It’s just…isn’t this a little unnecessary?”

The young man had always been soft-spoken, so the enormous banner that said “Welcome Back Mystery Twins” draped on the sunset-lined building felt like a bit much.

“Oh, whatever, party pooper,” his sister retorted, knocking on the wooden door.

It was opened by an ecstatic, large Hispanic. “Dudes! It’s been a while, come in!”

The two stepped in, giving their own forms of greetings, Mabel, a friendly peck on the cheek, and Dipper, their secret bro-handshake.

“Oh my gosh, Soos!” the young woman exclaimed, grabbing one of the many streamers that swirled down from the ceiling. On the end of each was an old photo of an adventure they all had over the years, this one in particular was from the first day in Gravity Falls, awkwardly hugging their great-uncle, before their lives started changing. “Wow, these decorations are amazing!” She gushed, wiping away a happy, nostalgic tear.

“It actually wasn’t my idea, Stan’s been planning this for months, I only put ‘em up,” he said, nodding toward the living room.

The twins tried to slowly follow the trail of streamers to appreciate the chronological archiving of their misadventures through the years, but couldn’t help themselves and bolted, tackling their uncle who was ever-so-predictably sitting in his favorite chair.

“Jesus, you kids! My body ain’t want it used to be, ease up!”

“Oh, but Grunkle Stan, we’ve missed you so much!” Mabel declared, clinging to his neck.

She and her brother had actually visited quite often, whenever their separate lives permitted, and even though the last time she was by was a few months ago, the time passed like dog-years to her.

Dipper, who backed off, criticized his uncle’s typical underdressing. “You could’ve at least tried to look nice for us, since you already went through the trouble of the banner and the photos.”

“Which are so cute!” Mabel chimed, finally releasing him from her tight hug.

“Yeah, well, I was caught up with something,” he said, attempting to inconspicuously turn off the TV from whatever was on it. “Besides, it’s just a reminder that you’re two of my favorite people in the world—don’t read too much into it.”

“I’m one of your favorite people, too, right?” Soos eagerly asked, entering the room with a bunch of sodas that he continued to pass out.

“Of course, Soos, that’s why you’re the one who owns the Shack on paper, in case I croak or somethin’,” he shrugged, taking a sip from the drink.

“Geez, Grunkle Stan, don’t say that,” the girl said, taking a seat on the chair’s armrest.

“Yeah, you’ve got at least another twenty years! And we’ve just barely been alive that long,” her brother agreed.

“I hope so. Already dead according to a few government databases, now I’ve been reduced to a cane since that accident tryin’ to run from the cops. ”

“That was only last month!” The handyman-turned-owner pointed out while trying to set up seven more folded chairs in the room.

“Soos, why so many?” Dipper confusedly asked, “There’s only four of us here.”

“He didn’t tell you before you came? He invited you guys’ friends, Candy, Grenda, Pacifica, couple others that couldn’t make it, and, oh, even Wendy’s back in town from Portland. Stan wanted a little reunion, he’s even been watching over and over the video he made about you dudes. Pretty neat stuff!”

“Oh, you did _that?!_ ” Mabel squealed, pulling her great-uncle in for another hug, “That’s awesome!”

“Uh…W-Wendy’s coming? Today?” Dipper stammered, still coping with his crush from a decade ago. “Does she have a boyfriend? Do you think I have a chance now?! Oh, she’s probably already engaged to some suave dude that’s way cooler than me!”

“Dips,” his twin snickered, “Calm down. I’m sure you’ll be fine as long as you don’t keep spazzing out.”

“Or just don’t be tied down to one girl at all. That’s how I like to roll,” Stan put in, taking another swig of his soda.

Dipper opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by knocks at the door.

“Oh my God, do you think that’s her? I’m gonna— _I’ll get it!_ ” He burst, running to the door.

He decided to coolly turn around his worn old trucker hat and check that his facial hair wasn’t to scraggy before swinging it open.

“Man, I’m so happy to see you—”

_BAM._

A blinding flash of light filled the room and they all found themselves in the all-too-familiar mindscape.

“My, I’m touched, you’re happy to see _me?_ ”

“ _Bill?!_ ” They all yelled in their own varying levels of fear and anger.

“The one and only,” The one-eyed, triangular demon laughed, floating over Dipper’s head and into the larger room. “Guess you’re all wondering why I decided to drop by, right?”

“All I’m wondering is why you think you can just waltz in here,” Stan spat, trying to get up to attack, but finding his feet stuck in place, the same with everyone else’s.

“How unwelcoming. Really need to word on your hosting skills, Stanny-boy,” The demon tutted, taking a spot on top of the television. “All I’m here for is…well, remember how none of you took up my offer of finding out the exact time and date of your death? One of you is going to be gone today.”

“Well, you can’t take him!” Mabel shouted, holding her still-mobile arms out defensively across her uncle.

“It isn’t the old man, Shooting Star. It’s you, your time’s up.”

“What?!”

“Yup! But, funny story. You know that Death guy? Recluse, necrophiliac, wears the same clothes every day—kinda like Pine Tree, actually—he’s a friend. Owed me a favor, got something arranged, and…let’s just say he won’t be visiting for a bit.”

“Wait, _seriously?!_ How’s she supposed to die, we’re indoors!” Dipper shouted, despite the fact that he was paranoid enough to be well aware of the dangers in any home.

“You…mean you’ve saved my… _my life?_ ” Mabel quavered.

“Wouldn’t you all love to know? Technically, yes, I did. From what, I’m not saying. Could be a certain angry ex bent on revenge, could be a monster rampaging out of the woods, hell, could be misfired kinetic bombardment from those slant-eyed guys on the other coast for all you know.”

“But…why?” Soos blurted, “Aren’t you the bad guy?”

“Labels aren’t very nice, you know. But I am! What, you think demons are Girl Scouts?—Then again, I’ve seen some get real vicious over selling Samoas,” Bill mused. “Still! Like I said, I only _technically_ saved her life. For now. All I really want is a favor in return.”

“I swear to fucking God, you aren’t getting anything from my niece. I may be old, but I can still tear out that eye of yours, bastard!”

“Goodness, Stanford, no need to be so brutish!” The demon pouted, and, with a wave of his hand, took out all sound from the man’s voice. “This isn’t for you to decide, anyway. How’s about it, kid,” he drifted toward Mabel, outstretching a flaming hand, “You give me what I want and you get to live for another day. Deal?”

“I…”

“Mabel!” Dipper pleaded, “You don’t have to do this—you know he’s a liar!”

“I dunno, dude, remember what happened to McGucket a couple years back?” Soos somberly recalled.

“Yeah, but…” The boy tried in vain to think of proof that the triangular terror was lying.

Stan was seething in silent fury, his fists so painfully close and yet far from the demon.

“C’mon, kid. I don’t have all day. Or, _you_ don’t, unless we shake on it.”

Mabel’s eyes flickered around the room, she had no clue how much time she would have left.

Swiftly, she grabbed the tiny hand and shook.

“D-Deal.”

The men boomed in disbelief.

“Why would you do that?!” Her brother screeched.

“It’s…not like I haven’t always feared death, as much as I pretended not to. But I know happiness and laughter can’t ward it off forever,” she replied, her voice trembling, “At least with this I’d have hope. You understand, don’t you?”

She stared at her twin with tear-filled eyes, and no one knew what to say.

“Forget about them,” Bill rang out, “That was a good choice star. Been wanting to do this for a while!”

“Do _what—_ ”

Before they could compute it, a blinding flash brought them back to reality.

Mabel staggered off and, with a few steps, crumpled to the floor.

Dipper immediately ran to her side. “Mabel! Are you alright?! Ohh, man…”

Her only response was quiet sobbing, her hands covering her face.

Stan, finally free to talk, went and put his hand comfortingly on her back, “Mabel, sweetie—”

“Did he—did he do something to you?!” Soos cried out.

The girl’s sobs softly warped into what sounded like maniacal laughter.

“Oh…” She said, standing up, “He definitely did SOMETHING! _Ahahaha!_ ” Her eyes were otherworldly and a clear sign of…

“Bill!” Dipper leapt back.

“Hoo, man, this is cool! Way different from the time I borrowed your body, Pine Tree. So much more energetic!”

Stan leapt and tackled the possessed shell of his niece to the ground, strangling its neck, cursing at the top of his lungs, “ _You are_ not _pulling off this shit, you motherfucker!_ ”

Soos grabbed the older man and held him back. “You don’t know what happens if you do that! She might never be able to return to it!”

“Yes, Stanford,” the ‘girl’ sputtered, standing back up, “You don’t want to break this precious body, do you?”

Stan struggled out of Soos’ grip, but Dipper knew first-hand that damage done to the body would carry over when she got it back, so he ,too, bitterly brought himself to stop his uncle.

“I guess I’ll take this moment to…” Mabel—Mabill?—took a few steps toward the window. “Bye now!” He tossed his new body through the glass and bolted off, a few shards jabbing into the skin.

The man sprang into action, Stan and Soos broke for the golfcart right outside and Dipper, only a good runner compared to those two, took off on foot and into the forest after Bill.

Unfortunately, it was already getting dark, and though Dipper, jumping into the cart with the other two, thought he had a good idea of where his sister’s body was headed, they eventually became lost, swerving around the shadowy trees.

“They were harder to shake off than I thought,” Bill conceded, leaning against a tree for a breather, removing a few small slivers of glass from his face.

“You need to give me my body back now, you…you jerk!” Mabel’s spirit demanded, incorporeally hovering near her stolen form, throwing ineffective kicks.

“Hey, you agreed—we shook on it, kid!”

“I don’t really care! I’ve changed my mind! I’d rather face my demise than let you run around masquerading as me like some sick psycho!”

Bill ignored her. “Jeez, why do you still wear these hefty sweaters? It’s already hot out,” he complained, struggling out of the garment. “ _Much_ better.”

“Bill, you’d better put that thing right back on!” The spirit barked.

“Eh, I’m good. Besides, the summer breeze feels much better on this bare tum-tums of mine.” he grinned, patting the pale softness.

“Ugh, just leave my clothes on and give me back my body!” She yelled, wishing she hadn’t been so hasty.

“What, you don’t like it?”

“Obviously not, you dickwad!”

“So then, you don’t want me doing _this_ ,” he said, pulling the skirt down lacerated legs, pieces of glass unlodging and falling to the ground.

“ _Aargh!_ This is pointless!” Mabel wailed, wanting desperately to track down the boys but too afraid to leave her body unattended with _him_.

“Y’know, never understood why ladies wear bikinis under their clothes. Doubt you’re going for a swim today,” he quickly added with a snicker, “Especially now!”

She had to restrain the urge to tackle him knowing she’d just fly through him.

“It’s okay, Mabel,” she thought aloud to herself, running a hand through her ghostly hair, “If someone shows up, it’ll be fine, my body isn’t naked, just…underdressed. He can’t make this that bad, can he?” She whispered an uneasy laugh.

“Oh, I definitely can,” he cackled, “Might want to work on that mouth of yours, by the by.”

“No, _stop!_ ”

It was too late, he was already working on shedding all decency.

The brassiere was too complicated for him, so he just strained and pulled it off over his—her head, similarly sliding down her underwear, intimidatingly staring her down.

“Hoo, feel the wind!” He brazenly shouted, striking an overconfident hands-on-hips pose.

“Wait, what’s that weird—?”

“ _No…_ ” Mabel tried to cover her eyes and her embarrassment.

Bill, however, was fascinated by the steady red fluid rolling down, much different from the tiny droplets lacing the cuts from the glass.

He only consulted the red pad on the discarded panties with a brief glance before dropping a seat against the tree with an “ _oh_.”

“Is this that monthly thing you humans get?”

“Only women, yes, so get out” Mabel quietly grated.

“I see,” he replied blankly before tracing a hand down to the bleeding groin, jolting it hand back when at the touch of the sensitive area.

“ _What are you doing?!_ ” the girl snapped.

Bill drew the red-tipped fingers close and, with little hesitation, stuck them in his mouth.

Mabel jumped back and gagged. “You’re sick!”

“No—maybe,” he retorted, removing the fingers, saliva coated where the blood once was, “That stuff is so different, so full of life. Touching it’s like— _hoo_ , like somethin’ else.”

The spirit knew where he was going with this and tried to grab that frisky wrist, but, of course, passed right through it.

His fingers skimmed past the trimmed hairs and slid into the stained red folds.

Almost immediately, he began writhing at the sensation.

“ _Ooh_ , man,” Bill purred, steadying himself with a hand to the ground. “This is _hah_ mazing!”

Mabel tried to block him out, feeling the need to vomit, but suffering the inability to. She didn’t dare stay watching him violate herself—or, her _self_ —in such a primal, senseless way, somehow slipping his entire hand into the stretched, bloody cave, laughing maniacally between sharp breaths.

It was so immoral, so depraved for him to be enjoying himself like that, the way he was loudly describing how _fucking great_ it was, and _oh shit, I found the magic spot!_

But it was even worse that she didn’t take this time to go find help.

It wasn’t that she was afraid they’d find her—him—like that.

No, it was the disgusting fact that, somehow, the tiniest bit of her _liked_ hearing him get off on touching _her_ body, even in such an corrupt and perverted way—it was like a sick form of torture.

As much as she wanted to face him—to tell him off, make him end the act—she knew that’s what he wanted.

Attention.

He wanted her to give in, to beg him to stop, to see his—her face, shining back with gross lust.

He knew this pained her, but she refused to give him the satisfaction.

Instead, she drifted up the tree, hoping she could find anything that would help her, at least distract her.

But the night had grown darker, just as the teasing sounds below her had grown louder.

It was pointless, they probably gave up at this point.

Mabel was really as good as dead; she was already a pitiful, bodiless soul.

God only knew what Bill would do with her body once he got bored with it; he was capable of more horrific things than she could try to imagine.

She began to consider giving in, played along with his games.

Just the consideration scared her, though, it showed she was already breaking.

But she didn’t want to.

She wanted it all to go back to before, when her only worry was getting hiccups from soda.

Not this, being some playtoy for a sadistic demon.

Dipper was right, he was probably lying about her death, anyway.

 

A high shriek broke out from below, and Mabel panicked, fearing she—he was found by something less than friendly.

But what met her when she fled down was only Bill, smugly resting against the tree, his—her?—body dripping in a mix of blood, sweat, and…whatever else, bearing a glowing face and cocky smirk that destroyed her.

He knew he had gotten to her, he was winning.

She needed to cry so badly, but she had no tears to shed.

“Why?” she croaked.

“’Why’ what, Star?”

“Why do you do this?” She quavered, “Why do you enjoy doing this?”

“Because it’s fun, of course,” he grinned, his eyes bugging like a madman’s.

“Fun,” she echoed, “of course…”

She sank, thinking back on what fun used to mean to her mere hours ago.

But it was her fault, wasn’t it?

To be so naive to trust someone like Bill Cipher, let alone believe him, she deserved it at this point, his laughter at her crippling misery.

“You know,” he said abruptly, “I think it’s about midnight.”

She silently rocked herself back and forth.

“…Well, lemme tell ya this,” he began, hating to be ignored, “Reason you were supposed to die, according to my buddy, was that you were gonna kill yourself.”

“Wh- _what?_ ” She stammered.

“Yeah, thought it was weird, too. Never took you as that type,” he paused and stood up, slowly walking off, “Then I thought about it and figured out what it meant.”

As much as she knew she wouldn’t like whatever the answer was, she followed after him, her curiosity had her blurting out, “Which—which is?!”

He smiled wickedly, happily ignoring her question. “Anyway, I told you that you’d live another day. And, technically, you did. So—oh, what do you know, a river!”

He raced toward it, stopping just before the edge. “I hear more people drown in shallow water that deep water. Sounds a little odd, don’t it?”

Mabel’s ghostly eyes widened with understanding. “No…no, Bill! _Don’t,_ ” her voice rattled, “Please, I’m begging you, anything but that. You can play with my body however you want, just…just don’t!”

Bill dipped his foot into the water. “Oh, boy, moves faster than I thought! Probably, eh, two deep, as well.”

“Please, oh God, please, I’ll do anything—Bill, _please!_ ”

“Hmm,” the demon mused, taking a seat with his legs kicking in the rushing water. “Don’t think there’s much you can do for me at this point.”

Mabel couldn’t find words…but it sounded like words were finding her.

Familiar voices were calling her name in the distance—Dipper, Stan, Soos, they hadn’t stopped looking for her!

“Guys! I’m here! I need you to stop Bill—!”

As soon as they came, the voices were trailing away into the dark.

“No, no— _guys!!_ ”

“They still can’t hear you, y’know,” Bill happily reminded her, “Need a vessel and all—ooh, I think a fish touched me!”

“Vessel? Vessel…” Mabel frantically looked around and spotted a lone, dead sparrow. “Vessel!”

As soon as she put her hand to it, her intangible hand practically melded to it, and it sprung to life. Or, as alive as it could be.

“Figured out that much, eh? I think I can be generous, then. For being such a smart kid, I’ll give you a chance. Three minutes. Starting…now.”

As if someone hit a big red button, the bird began flying off between the trees, dragging Mabel’s spirit along, beelining in the direction of the boys.

It felt like mere seconds to reach them, but when she tried to communicate, she found the bird was only capable of avian sounds, and the unaware men tried to swat the nuisance away.

In a panic, Mabel tried to think of something—anything they would recognize.

Suddenly, the bird started crowing out a certain song, one Dipper had composed as his personal theme song many years ago.

“Wait…is-is that— _Mabel?!_ ”

The bird cawed in response and it—she—bolted off toward where Bill had her body, the golf cart speeding in tow.

She’d only spent a minute, maybe two.

Things were going to be okay.

That’s what she told herself.

But when they skidded to the spot her body was last, they found nothing.

Nothing but a few words sprawled in the mud.

“ _Time’s up._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> APXZ Q **H** UW **I** A **P** T LVS


End file.
